Sustainable development, inclusion and accessibility are raising trends in higher education. Although important and global issues, their implementation to higher education is still in children’s shoes in many educational institutions. Inclusion refers to enabling and making participation possible for those who would otherwise be in danger of being left outside (Sitra 2023).
Universities in Finland have a joint mission in increasing accessibility, inclusion, and diversity to reach more applicants nationwide and globally. Accessible services often are considered digital, or physically accessible but actually accessible services are available for all users despite of limitations of any kind (Papunet 2023). In Finland, the governmental aim is to raise the number of young adults with higher education up to 50 percent by 2030 (Valtioneuvosto 2023). This also leads to growing number of students with diverse pedagogical needs. Therefore, higher education needs to be made accessible for every student despite of their background.
The 17 Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs, aim to improve life quality all over the world and all UN countries are committed to implement the goals into action. Improving health and education, reducing inequality, and spurring economic growth while tackling climate change and preserving nature are key goals also in health care education. (UN 2023). The goals are connected to universal principles of nursing which stress the importance of equal and individualized care for everyone despite of their backgrounds. It should be easy to adapt the goals and ideology to health care education.
Collaboration between GLOBDIVES and MONNI projects
Global accessibility objectives require benchmarking in implementing them. Local actions are not enough but global, national, and local networks are required for development more accessible education. In October specialists at LAB University of Applied Sciences MONNI project (LAB 2023a) took part in global “Train-the-trainers” intensive week on sustainable development and inclusion in higher education organized by GLOBDIVES project (LAB 2023b). The project activities aim to support research, education, and teacher training (Baliasina 2022).
The key message of the week emphasized the joint role in implementation of both of these themes in all levels in universities to make the university truly inclusive. This requires will, resources and financing. The point of view where diversity is seen as mere expense needs to be shaken up. The money and resources invested in inclusive education will pay off in increase of diversity in teaching and learning and moreover, in wellbeing of communities. We can either embrace the change and actively promote diversity or try to ignore the change and face the decrease of students, resources and eventually finances too.
Authors
Marjut Louhelainen and Sini Hämäläinen work as Senior Lecturers and specialists in MONNI project at LAB University of Applied of Sciences. They have participated in GLOBDIVES Train-the-trainer intensive week held in October in Ourense, Spain.
References
Baliasina, M. 2022. GLOBDIVES – a Global Perspective on Internationalisation. UAS JOURNAL 4/2022. Cited 20 Nov 2023. Available at https://uasjournal.fi/4-2022/globdives-a-global-perspective-on-internationalisation/
LAB. 2023a. MONNI – monikulttuuriset terveysalan opiskelijat työntekijöiksi Etelä-Karjalassa. Project. Cited 20 Nov 2023. Available at https://www.lab.fi/fi/projekti/monni-monikulttuuriset-terveysalan-opiskelijat-tyontekijoiksi-etela-karjalassa
LAB. 2023b. GLOBDIVES – global citizenship & diversity management skills in higher education. Project. Cited 20 Nov 2023. Available at https://lab.fi/fi/projekti/global-citizenship-diversity-management-skills-higher-education
Papunet. 2023. Mitä on saavutettavuus? Cited 20 Nov 2023. Available at https://papunet.net/saavutettavuus/miksi-saavutettava/mita-on-saavutettavuus/
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Sitra. 2023. Inkluusio. Cited 20 Nov 2023. Available at https://www.sitra.fi/tulevaisuussanasto/inkluusio/
UN. 2023. Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs). United Nations. Cited 20 Nov 2023. Available at https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/
Valtioneuvosto. 2023. OKM:n talousarvioesitys kahdeksan miljardia euroa vuodelle 2024. Cited 20 Nov 2023. Available at https://valtioneuvosto.fi/-//1410845/okm-n-talousarvioesitys-kahdeksan-miljardia-euroa-vuodelle-2024
